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5 Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid

24 May 2024

image by Frames For Your Heart on Unsplash

With proper gardening and landscaping, you can transform your outdoor spaces into inviting and functional retreats. However, it is also easy to make landscaping mistakes that can detract from your landscape’s overall functionality and look, especially if you are new to landscaping. Discussed below are five common landscaping mistakes you should avoid.

1. Lack of landscape design plan

Not every residential landscape design will work for your garden, so don’t just pick any design that looks good on a brochure. A lot goes into designing the perfect landscape, which is why you need to be patient. Take the climate of your area, soil type, and the topography of your garden into consideration.

You also need to make a list of needs and wants. Who will be using your backyard? Do your kids need a play area? Do you have pets? Do you intend to host parties in your backyard? Do you need a patio or a fire pit? For best results, you should enlist the help of a landscaping company to help you come up with a custom landscape design.

2. Neglecting the drainage

Neglecting the drainage is probably the worst landscaping mistake you can make, especially if you live in an area that receives a lot of rain. Neglecting your drainage will result in raised beds and waterlogged planters, which will make it difficult for plants to survive.

In addition, if you install your paving with incorrect falls, puddles of water will form. This is not only a slip hazard but can also cause flooding, which can damage other garden structures.

3. Planting in the wrong place

Another common landscaping mistake is placing plants in the wrong place. People often forget to consider the required moisture, temperature, and sunlight for their plants. Be sure to read the tag when buying a plant. You also need plants that can tolerate your local conditions and don’t forget to consider how big they could get.

Additionally, you don’t want to overplant. Placing too many flowers, shrubs and trees close together can result in overcrowding and competition for sunlight, nutrients, and space. It’s important that each plant, flower, or shrub has enough space to grow to its full potential.

4. Poor soil preparation

Preparing the soil before planting is crucial, especially if you are landscaping on a newly constructed site. The soil on a newly constructed site contains grout, adhesive, concrete, and paint, so it needs to be prepared before planting. Be sure to turn the soil using a fork, remove any weeds and stones, and dig in compost and fertilizer.

5. Failure to consider long-term maintenance

Some homeowners are easily drawn to visually appealing shrubs, plants, and flowers without having any idea of the effort and time required to maintain them. This mistake leads to unkempt or overgrown landscapes, which can result in frustrations and additional expenses down the road. Be sure to research the maintenance requirements of plants and landscape features before incorporating them into your design. It is advisable to go for plants and features that are cheap to maintain.

5 landscaping mistakes to avoid – Endnote

Knowing what to do makes landscaping easier. Avoid these common mistakes when designing or maintaining your landscape to avoid unnecessary expenses in the future.

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